Food & Drink

The 2024-25 Pennsylvania State Budget introduced updates to the state's complex liquor laws, including extended happy hours and ready-to-drink cocktails. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board already received over a thousand RTDC applications and has begun permitting with the law effective Sept. 16.

Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in Forks Township celebrated the grand opening of Colonial Cafe 71, a coffee shop which helps teach employment and life skills.

The Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market officially added The Brass Rail to its list of merchants Thursday morning — the first time the eatery has been in operation since it shuttered on Lehigh Street in June 2022.

South Whitehall Board of Commissioners on Wednesday heard a proposal for a new PJ Whelihan’s in Ridge Farms, a mixed use housing development at the intersection of Cedar Crest Boulevard and Walbert Avenue.

Organizers of the beer festival have teamed up with Allentown Mural Arts for a day of craft beer tasting, mural unveilings, live music and local eats on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Chef Ryan Lukow of the Savory Grille unseated reigning champion Chef Courtney Davenport on Sunday to win the Allentown Fair’s annual Iron Chef cooking competition.

The scrapple contest was held on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Great Allentown Fair.

Baseball, food and fun family offerings are out there if firing up the grill is not your thing.

The Lehigh Valley's newest bagel shop is officially in full swing, holding its grand opening Wednesday Aug. 28. Customers have continuously raved about the bagel spot since its soft opening mid-July.

The 10th anniversary of Clam Jam, the Easton festival held by Third and Ferry Fish Market, brought hundreds of seafood devotees to the city Sunday and crowned new chowder and homebrew champions.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. has announced a set of pop-up festivals and other outdoor events scheduled throughout the city during spring and summer. The free events will feature free food, drinks and entertainment for all.

A juvenile suspect has been charged with misdemeanor counts as a result of a state police investigation of sewing needles in food at the Giant.

Authorities say an employee at the Giant supermarket at 7150 Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township put sewing needles into grocery items. The juvenile worker has been identified and charges are pending.

After closing its doors in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Bethany South Side Drop-in reopened on Monday.

ArtsQuest and the Lehigh Valley Brewers' Guild teamed up to launch the Spring Beer Fest in Bethlehem Saturday. With more than 850 tickets sold, the festival is likely to make a return, organizers said.

The event, hosted by the Celtic Cultural Alliance and Colony Meadery, offers attendees a chance to learn about mead's history and production as well as sample different meads.

Store associates Jessica Pastor and Crystal Garcia were chosen to be the face of a familiar brand after their store raised $12,448 to assist local food banks.

Jon Steinman, author of the book “Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants,” is coming to speak to the Bethlehem Food Co-op’s audience.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Ahead of the holiday weekend, the LehighValleyNews.com team did something it probably shouldn’t have – looked at TikTok.

There are plenty of fun, as well as sacred, ways to celebrate Easter in 2023.

In past years, Peeps has held the title of No. 1 Easter candy in the country. This is no longer the case.